Closet flange bonding cylinder

ABSTRACT

A unitary boding cylinder which is specially molded from either polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) for use with a closet flange. The cylinder has a funnel-shaped bore, with a lower end which can be connected to the drainage system, and an upper end, with a larger outer diameter, to which a closet flange can be attached. One embodiment has an upper end with a wall thickness of 1½ inches. The closet flange can be attached directly to the cylinder by threading the mounting screws into the upper surface of the wall. When installing an offset flange, a section of the wall can be cut away to accommodate the angled neck of the offset flange, which is attached to the cylinder, not the concrete slab. A second embodiment, with ordinary wall thickness, can be used for interior installations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a unitary bonding cylinder to which a closet flange is attached for installation of a commode.

In the plumbing and construction industries, attaching closet flanges to plumbing systems can be time-consuming and difficult, requiring several steps to accomplish.

Presently, a plumber typically must build up a pipe riser, using a pipe and two couplings. He then caps it off for attachment of the closet flange to the existing drainage system. The pipe portion of the closet flange is glued into the pipe riser, and the commode is attached to the flange portion. However, the connection is not secure enough to insure that the closet flange cannot be pulled out of the riser, so the closet flange is typically attached to the concrete slab or sub-floor itself, by the use of screws or bolts. The overall process is time-consuming and can be difficult to accomplish.

Even more difficult are instances when a plumber needs to install an offset flange. In order to do so, the plumber needs to break out portions of the concrete slab so that the offset flange can be installed. Needless to say, the process is difficult, time-consuming, and inexact at best.

A need exists for a device to which a closet flange can be easily and quicky attached.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a specially-contoured, unitary bonding cylinder, molded from either polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), the lower end of which is connected directly to the drainage system. The unitary bonding cylinder takes the place of the pipe riser and couplings presently in use. The bore of the cylinder of the present invention is funnel-shaped, with the lower end of the cylinder configured to couple to the drainage system, and the opening at the upper end configured to surround the pipe portion of the closet flange that is being installed. Like a riser, the unitary cylinder can be cut to the proper height.

In the first of the preferred embodiments, the upper end of the specially fabricated cylinder is formed with a wall thickness of one-and-one-half inches (1½″), providing a surface into which screws can be threaded for attaching the closet flange securely to the cylinder itself. When using the first preferred embodiment with an offset flange, the plumber will remove a section of the upper wall of the cylinder itself in order to provide clearance for the angled portion of the offset flange. The plumber will not have to break out any concrete from the slab in order to install the offset flange.

Another preferred embodiment of the cylinder can be used when installing a closet flange above an interior sub-floor. In this embodiment, the unitary cylinder also has a funnel-shaped bore, with the opening at the lower end configured to couple directly to the drainage system, and the opening at the upper end configured to surround the pipe portion of the closet flange that is being installed. However, the upper end of the cylinder is formed with a wall thickness of only one-quarter inch (¼″). The screws for attaching the closet flange can be screwed directly into the wood sub-floor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a unitary bonding cylinder for a closet flange that is easy to use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a unitary bonding cylinder for a closet flange that saves time a plumber presently expends when installing a closet flange.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a unitary bonding cylinder for a closet flange which costs less than the combination of fittings which would have to be used otherwise.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a unitary bonding cylinder for an offset closet flange.

One more object of the present invention is to provide a unitary bonding cylinder that eliminates the need to break out concrete when installing an offset flange.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of the unitary bonding cylinder of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the unitary bonding cylinder of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a slightly angled, perspective side view of the unitary bonding cylinder of the present invention, showing a closet flange prior to installation.

FIG. 4 is a slightly angled, perspective side view of the unitary bonding cylinder of the present invention, showing the section that has been removed in order to effectuate installation of an offset closet flange.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of the unitary bonding cylinder of the present invention, one typically used with a wood sub-floor.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the second embodiment of the unitary bonding cylinder of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a slightly angled, perspective side view of the second embodiment of the unitary bonding cylinder of the present invention, showing a closet flange prior to installation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIG. 1, the unitary bonding cylinder 1 of the present invention is used with a typical closet flange 2. The bonding cylinder 1, which is specially molded from either PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), has a cylinder body 10 with a tapered portion 11 which terminates in a pipe coupling end 12. The cylinder wall 13 at the upper end of the cylinder body 10 has a thickness of approximately 1½ inches, with a bore 14 approximately 4 inches in diameter. The outer diameter of the upper end of the cylinder body 10 is approximately 7 inches, while the outer diameter of the pipe coupling end 12 is approximately 3½ inches. The upper part of the cylinder body 10 can be cut to grade depending on the height needed.

The closet flange 2 has a mounting rim 15 and a pipe portion 16. Mounting holes 17 in the mounting rim 15 are used to install the closet flange 2, while mounting slots 18 are used to attach a commode (not shown) to the closet flange 2.

The bonding cylinder 1 of the present invention replaces and improves upon the pipe riser and related couplings which plumbers presently must build in order to attach a closet flange to a drainage system. A plumber attaches the pipe coupling end 12 to the drain pipe (not shown), cuts the cylinder body 10 to grade, then attaches the closet flange 2 directly to the bonding cylinder I of the present invention. Installation is quick and easy to accomplish. The pipe portion 16 of the closet flange 2 fits into the bore 14 of the bonding cylinder 1, and mounting bolts are inserted through the holes 17 directly into the wall 13 of the bonding cylinder 1. (In the prior art, the mounting rim 15 must be attached to the concrete slab or the sub-floor itself.)

In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, the shape of the bore 14 of the unitary bonding cylinder 1 of the present invention can be seen. The bore 14 of the cylinder body 10 tapers from an upper end with an inner diameter of approximately 4 inches to a lower end with an inner diameter of approximately 3 inches. The wall 13, which has a thickness of approximately 1½ inches at the upper end, narrows at the tapered portion 11, and narrows still more at the pipe coupling end 12, with a wall thickness of ¼ inch. The outer diameter of the pipe coupling end 12 fits into a conventional drain pipe (not shown).

The top view of FIG. 3 of the unitary bonding cylinder 1 shows the bore 14 of the cylinder body 10, the widest section of the outer diameter of the cylinder body 10, which is approximately 7 inches, and the wall thickness 13, which tapers to the pipe coupling end 12.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bonding cylinder I of the present invention can be used with an offset flange 20. Presently, a plumber must break out pieces of the concrete slab to accommodate the offset flange 20. The unitary bonding cylinder I can be easily adapted to accommodate an offset flange 20. As noted supra, the unitary bonding cylinder 1, which is molded from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), has a cylinder body 10 with a tapered portion 11 which terminates in a pipe coupling end 12. The cylinder wall 13 at the upper end of the cylinder body 10 has a thickness of approximately 1½ inches, with a bore 14 approximately 4 inches in diameter. The outer diameter of the upper end of the cylinder body 10 is approximately 7 inches, while the outer diameter of the pipe coupling end 12 is approximately 3½ inches in diameter. The upper part of the cylinder body 10 can be cut to grade, depending on the height needed. Additionally, a horizontal cut 30 and vertical cuts 31 are made in the cylinder wall 13.

The offset flange 20 has a mounting rim 21 and a pipe portion 22, with angled neck 23. Mounting holes 24 in the mounting rim 21 are used to install the offset flange 20, while mounting slots 25 are used to attach a commode (not shown) to the offset flange 20.

A plumber attaches the pipe coupling end 12 to the drain pipe (not shown), cuts the cylinder body 10 to grade with a horizontal cut 30 and vertical cuts 31, and then glues the pipe portion 22 into the bore 14 of the cylinder body 10, with the angled neck 23 against the horizontal cut 30. Mounting bolts are inserted through the holes 24 directly into the wall 13 of the bonding cylinder 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the present invention is installed in ordinary indoor flooring, an alternate embodiment of the bonding cylinder 40 of the present invention can be used with a typical closet flange 50. The unitary bonding cylinder 40, which is specially molded from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), has a cylinder body 41 with a tapered portion 42 which terminates in a pipe coupling end 43. The cylinder wall 44 at the upper end of the cylinder body 41 has a thickness of approximately ¼ inch, with a bore 45 approximately 4 inches in diameter. The outer diameter of the upper end of the cylinder body 41 is approximately 4½ inches, while the outer diameter of the pipe coupling end 43 is approximately 31/2 inches.

The closet flange 50 has a mounting rim 51 and a pipe portion 52. Mounting holes 53 in the mounting rim 51 are used to install the closet flange 50, while mounting slots 54 are used to attach a commode (not shown) to the closet flange 50.

The bonding cylinder 40 of the present invention replaces and improves upon the pipe riser and related couplings, which plumbers presently must build in order to attach a closet flange to a drainage system. A plumber attaches the pipe coupling end 43 to the drain pipe (not shown), cuts the cylinder body 41 to grade, then inserts the pipe portion 52 of the closet flange 50 into the bore 45 of bonding cylinder 41 of the present invention. Mounting bolts (not shown) are inserted through the holes 53 directly into the wall flooring around the bonding cylinder 41.

In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6, the shape of the bore of the unitary bonding cylinder 40 of the present invention can be seen. The bore 45 of the cylinder body 41 tapers from an upper end with an inner diameter of approximately 4 inches to a lower end with an inner diameter of approximately 3 inches. The wall 44 has a thickness of approximately ¼ inch. The outer diameter of the pipe coupling end 43 fits into a conventional drain pipe (not shown).

The top view of FIG. 7 of the unitary bonding cylinder 40 shows the bore 45 of the cylinder body 41, the outer diameter of the cylinder body 41, which is approximately 4½ inches, and the wall thickness 44, which tapers to the pipe coupling end 43.

The unitary bonding cylinder of the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that additions, modifications, substitutions, deletions and other changes not specifically described are possible, and that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not as self-limiting. 

1. A unitary bonding cylinder with a bore for use with a closet flange having a mounting rim and a pipe portion, the cylinder having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end having a wall thickness of 1½ inches, creating a flat surface to which the mounting rim of the closet flange can be attached after the pipe portion of the closet flange is inserted into the bore, and the lower end having a funnel-shaped portion which terminates with a connection end having a wall thickness of ¼ inch, the connection end being dimensioned for connecting directly to a drainage pipe.
 2. The bonding cylinder of claim 1 wherein a portion of the upper end can be horizontally cut to grade before the closet flange is mounted thereon.
 3. The bonding cylinder of claim 1 wherein the closet flange is an offset flange with an angled neck, and a portion of the upper end of the bonding cylinder is removed in order to accommodate the angled neck of the offset flange before the mounting rim is attached to the flat surface remaining.
 4. The bonding cylinder of claim 1 wherein the cylinder is molded from a material selected from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).
 5. A unitary bonding cylinder with a bore for use with a closet flange having a mounting rim and a pipe portion, the cylinder having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end having a funnel-shaped portion which terminates with a connection end being dimensioned for connecting directly to a drainage pipe.
 6. The bonding cylinder of claim 5 wherein a portion of the upper end can be horizontally cut to grade before the pipe portion of the closet flange is inserted into the bore of the cylinder.
 7. The bonding cylinder of claim 5 wherein the cylinder is molded from a material selected from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).
 8. A method of installing a closet flange having a mounting rim and a pipe portion, the method comprising the steps of: providing a unitary bonding cylinder with a bore, the cylinder having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end being generally funnel-shaped with a connection end; connecting the connection end of the cylinder directly to a drainage pipe; cutting the upper end of the cylinder to grade; inserting the pipe portion of the closet flange into the bore of the cylinder.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the upper end of the unitary bonding cylinder has a wall thickness of 1½ inches, which further includes the step of: attaching the mounting rim of the closet flange directly to the upper end of the unitary bonding cylinder.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the closet flange is an offset flange with an angled neck, which further comprises the step of: before inserting the closet flange into the bore of the cylinder, removing a portion of the upper wall of the cylinder in order to accommodate the angled neck of the offset flange. 